1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an agricultural system, and, more particularly, to a display regime for presenting a bottom bar information and selection area on a display associated with the agricultural system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern farming practices have developed to improve the speed and efficiency of the farm equipment used to plant, maintain, and harvest crops. For example, tractors include a global positioning system (GPS) and a controller in the tractor is configured to provide a topographical view of a field and to identify the location of the tractor within the field based on the GPS coordinates. In addition, multiple agricultural implements may be connected to the tractor. During planting, for example, the tractor may pull an air cart having multiple containers including one or more types of seed and/or fertilizer. The tractor may also pull a planter to plant the seeds.
The controller on the tractor may be configured to control operation of the implements connected to the tractor. Different models of each implement may include varying operating parameters such as capacity, rate of application, or number of rows. The operating parameters may also depend, for example, on the configuration or operating characteristics of the tractor or the location within the field. Each of the operating parameters needs to be configured prior to operation of the respective implement. Consequently, each implement typically includes a configuration module stored on the controller of the tractor to configure operation of the respective implement.
However, as the number of features on the agricultural implements increase so does the number of operating parameters and the complexity of configuring operation of the tractor and the connected implements. In addition, different implements such as the air cart and planter may interact with each other. Changing the configuration of a parameter on one of the implements may impact operation of the other implement.
In a known type of planting implement, seed planting or row units are attached to a toolbar extending transverse to the direction of planting. The toolbar is coupled to a tractor or other work vehicle suitable for pulling the planting implement along a field that is to be seeded to a crop. Each planting unit includes a ground penetrating assembly, often including one or more discs, for opening a seed trench or furrow in the ground as the planting implement is pulled across a field. Components of the ground penetrating assembly shape the bottom and sides of the seed trench, and a seed-metering device provides individual seeds at a controlled rate for deposit in the seed trench. Furrow closing components of each row unit close the seed trench in a controlled manner.
Agricultural planters are commonly used implements to plant seeds in soil. An agricultural planter can include a chassis that carries one or more storage tanks carrying seed, and chemical applications that are to be applied to the field during the planting operation, a hitch mechanism that attaches to a tractor or other implement pulled by a tractor, and a tool bar that row units can be connected to so they are carried by the chassis. The planter can also include a pneumatic system carried by the chassis that supplies pressurized air to transport the seeds or other particulate from the storage tanks to the row units.
Each row unit of the agricultural planter places seeds in the field. By having multiple row units working in unison as the planter is pulled across a field, many seeds can be effectively planted in an efficient manner.
The modern farmer faces the challenge of integrating many kinds of equipment starting with the vehicle itself, which can be coupled to all kinds of implements (planters, sprayers, seeders, tillage equipment etc.), and have various navigational controllers and high precision GPS receivers installed. These all lead to very complex setups and a large amount of data.
What is needed in the art is a robust system that allows for the presentation of data and selections in an intuitive and efficient manner on a display.